Writer/composer Jonathan Larson died of an undiagnosed heart condition in 1996 at the age of 36, the day before the off-Broadway premiere of the musical that would make him famous: Rent. But in 1990, Larson created a one-man musical monologue about his fear that he was wasting his life on the wrong career choice.
In 2001, that musical monologue—tick, tick … BOOM!—was adapted by playwright David Auburn into a three-actor production following aspiring composer Jon, his girlfriend Susan and his lifelong friend Michael. On the eve of Jon’s 30th birthday, he’s wondering if he’ll ever break through as an artist or whether he should move on to a more conventional, financially lucrative career, like Michael. And as he works through a soon-to-premiere production, gets a glimpse of life in the corporate world and wonders what Stephen Sondheim would do, that choice becomes even more complicated. Experience a celebration of creative persistence.
Tick, tick … BOOM! @ The Egyptian Theatre, 328 Main, Park City, 435-649-9371, March 11-27, Friday-Saturday 8 p.m.; Sunday 6 p.m., $18-$25. ParkCityShows.com